Sunday, May 10, 2015

One of the things we hear often in our world is that failure is a bad thing. But during my 43 years in business I have learned one thing; failure has been one of my best teachers. I didn't always recognize it at first when I went through the fire, but as time moved forward 1 discovered how it helped me move forward. I once read a quote from Brian Tracy that said, "You Can Only Grow If You're Willing To Feel Awkward and Uncomfortable When You Try Something New." Life is full of valleys and mountain tops coming and going day after day. No one is perfect but too many leaders put on a mask and act as though they are perfect. Not realizing that the people who work with them can see right through that mask.

So How Does a Servant Leader Handle Failure With Their People?

They help their people see and understand their failure by teaching ,not by punishment or embarrassment. no if people keep making the same mistake over and over again that is another story. One of my favorite sayings I picked up from someone was,"Only Make New Mistakes".

Help people understand if you are going to be innovative and take risk you will fail sometimes. Going to the next level in anything brings some pain.

Helps their people understand that everyone fails and they are not alone; but the strong get back up and try and try again.

Help them learn that failure and the "keep trying attitude" bring about perseverance.

How servant leaders treat failure builds trust with their people. Trust must be earned and dealing with failure either builds it up or tears it down.

Servant leaders see failure as "teachable moments." those moments you come along side your people to motivate and encourage them to get back up and face the next thing.

A servant leaders people have learned they can speak truth to them and don't have to hide things. When things get hidden "long lasting failure and loss occurs.'" Only when things are brought out in the open can they be resolved at a much faster speed.

Servant leaders know that failure is a prerequisite for success.

So the next time you fail at something realize you have to make a choice. Will I let it get me down or will I let it be a teachable moment helping me to stand up ,dust off my clothes and get ready for the next opportunity to succeed. Don't stay in the valley and get ready to climb those mountains of opportunity that come your way.

About Me

Bill Flint is the founder, president, and CEO of Flint Strategic Partners located in Goshen, Indiana. His firm provides servant leadership training, strategic planning and sales and marketing strategy and implementation.

Bill is also the author of the best-selling book, The Journey To Competitive Advantage Through ServantLeadership, published by Westbow Press a division of Thomas Nelson Publishing and available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The book is currently the #9 best selling book on Amazon out of 5,200 books in the servant leadership category. Book is also in the top 10 in Canada,Germany,France, Italy, Spain, China and the United Kingdom in the servant leadership category.

Bill is a disciplined, energetic, and entrepreneurial leader with 38 years of business experience, with 26 of those years in senior leadership positions. Including product manager, sales and marketing manager, VP of Sales and Marketing, and 13 years as President of two separate companies; including one with 10 manufacturing facilities and annual sales of over $125 million.

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Bill spends most of his time working with companies to help them improve their leadership development process using his trademarked servant leadership teaching, coaching and mentoring process.. Bill is also an accomplished speaker for conventions, conferences and company events.

Bill and his wife Kay are members of Nappanee Missionary Church in Nappanee, Indiana where they teach the Newly Married Sunday School class and Bill serves on the church board. He also serves on the board of Ethos Inc., and is a member of the Business Advisory Committee for Ivy Tech Community College in South Bend, Indiana. Bill is also a member of The Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce and The Chamber of Commerce St. Joseph County.